Election to be Held on Proposed School District for Jacksonville

LITTLE ROCK, AR-- Thursday, the Arkansas State Board of Education approved an election to be held to decide whether voters want to separate from the Pulaski County Special School District.

It is an issue parents and stakeholders are pleased to hear.

"We feel good about our chances in that election and we will work very hard to make sure we have a good result from that election. We are not going to take anything for granted, but we feel good about that election producing a good result," said spokesman Patrick Wilson.

Leaders have been trying to get to this point before, but met some problems with federal approval.

"We did it right this time. We got the federal judge to approve it," said education commissioner Tom Kimbrell.

However, the Jacksonville NAACP did raise one concern surrounding diversity on the possible school board, which initially would be apppointed positions for the first two years.

"We have educators and Ph.Ds willing to work with the board to get everything set up so that our children, minority children, will be treated fairly," said NAACP- Jacksonville spokesman Ivory Tillman.

The vote could be held in September.

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